Video games turning kids into zombies

A charity has raised concerns that a generation of children are becoming living zombies from sleep deprivation due to computer game addiction.

Social workers at Wing South West say it has serious concerns over an increasing number of young computer gamers who are ‘stoned’ from sleep deprivation.

They said youngsters were in danger of losing empathy and the compassion of ‘genuine relationships’.

“We have a number of young people who most of the time look almost stoned, not necessarily on drugs, but just with sleep deprivation because they’re gaming all the time,” the Daily Mail quoted Paul Bowser, who works with young people at Wings South West in Bideford, as saying.

“Whether it’s an obsession or an addiction, I don’t know. It’s certainly different from a few years ago, partly because the technology wasn’t there,” he said.

Robert Hart Fletcher, who runs Kids and Media, a charity giving information about children’s use of digital media, stated “Gaming is a phenomenon that’s been around quite a while.Now we are starting to see the effects in behaviour of young people.”

“In the past people had genuine relationships with empathy and compassion which has been replaced by this virtual relationship where they are not necessarily having to show empathy or compassion.

“That’s starting perhaps to change the way they interact on a day to day basis,” he added.more information...

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Source: http://truthdive.com/

Shy by name, but not by nature! French singer Shy'm turns up to NRJ awards wearing COMPLETELY transparent corset

She's barely known outside her native France.

But R&B singer Shy'm certainly made an impression at last night's NRJ Awards.

The 26-year-old turned up at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres in Cannes wearing a transparent plastic corset with white tinsel-like material interspersed to create a frosted effect.

Her stunning figure was on full display - though to an extreme which might make viewing her performance before the watershed a little questionable.

Shy'm wore a toga-like white sheet around her waist to form a skirt, creating a Grecian-style effect- and bared a great deal of thigh in the process.

The star wore her hair in a long ponytail, choosing smoked-out eyes and red lipstick to define her delicate facial features.

The singer's corset looked like it might have been custom-moulded to fit her perfectly.

Shy'm - real name Tamara Marthe - tweeted a photo of the stars taking part in the awards beforehand, captioning the snap 'A little taster'.

The awards feature Justin Bieber and Shakira, with Coldplay and LMFAO also taking to the stage.

Other guests included Mika, David Guetta, Patricia Kaas and Miss France 2012 winner Delphine Wespiser.

There's no doubt that Shy'm appreciated her inclusion, as she wrote enthusiastically on Twitter: 'In a few minutes [I'll be on] NRJ live from a yacht'

Gearing herself up for the experience, the singer posted yesterday: 'I've got my soldiers beside me #youshouldknowthis #thegreatestteam'

The chanteuse released her debut album Mes Fantaisies, in 2006, when it climbed to number six in the French charts.

To date, four songs from the album have been released as singles, all of which charted in the top 10 in France.

Her 2008 effort Reflets included pop, dance and R&B sounds, while her third album Prendre l'air had a more electropop feel.

In 2011, Shy'm was one of nine contestants to take part in the second season of Danse Avec Les Stars. 

She and her partner professional dancer Maxime Dereymez won the competition.

And it appeared she was a winner again last night - taking home the Francophone Female Artist Of The Year title.more information...

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Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Beyonce subject of a college course at Rutgers University

Jay-Z was honored with one, and now so is his wife Beyonce. Rutgers University is offering a course on “Love on Top” singer Beyonce.
 
According to  Entertainmentwise,  'Politicising Beyonce'  is offered at the university as part of their Department Of Women and Gender Studies.
 
According to The Boombox, the course will teach about the cultural and social significance of the singer’s music and public image. Students will learn about, and analyze Beyonce’s alter ego Sasha Fierce, and explain whether her sexy image creates women empowerment or a gender stereotype.
 
Kevin Alfred, who teaches the course, explains on the Rutgers website that 'Politicizing Beyonce' is much more than what people expect.
 
"This isn't a course about Beyonce's political engagement or how many times she performed during President Obama's inauguration weekend. She certainly pushes boundaries. While other artists are simply releasing music, she's creating a grand narrative around her life, her career, and her persona."
 
"It's important to shift students away from simply being consumers of media toward thinking more critically about what they're engaging on a regular basis."
 
Beyonce won’t be the only person analyzed in the course, so will Lady Gaga, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone.more information...

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Source: http://thecelebritycafe.com

Rihanna 'enjoying wild time'

Rihanna has been "going a bit wild" during her extended holiday.

The singer has enjoyed a lengthy break in her native Barbados recently, following the end of her Loud tour and the release of her new album.

There have been suggestions she has been partying too hard while there, with some claiming she has been smoking marijuana. However, those close to her insist she is just having fun while on holiday.

"Right now she's just letting off steam," a source told Look magazine. "Ri's been working hard and has just had her heart broken by Chris [Brown] again, so it's natural she wants to get drunk and go a bit wild. But we're all sure she'll get back to her usual happy self once she gets home and back into her routine."

There has been speculation Rihanna and her ex-boyfriend Chris have been spending time together lately, but it's not thought they are back together.

They have been spotted in the same nightclub but Chris has a new girlfriend. It's thought he has been texting Rihanna, but it's more about the pair of them moving on from their fraught relationship.

"They were each other's first loves and that's something that'll never go away, which is why they were tweeting one another at the end of last year," the insider added. "But they were also really bad for each other. They argued all the time, and everyone knows the violent way the relationship ended."

The former couple split three years ago after an argument turned violent. Chris was charged with assaulting the pop beauty and served with a restraining order.

The protective order slammed on the rapper was lifted a year ago. It required that they have no contact with each other.more information...

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Source: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Jet setter Justin Bieber wins NRJ Award, performs in France

He is a young man who does not stay in one place for long, Justin Drew Bieber. After flying to Puerto Rico to support Selena Gomez on her world tour, he returned to L.A. for a few days in the studio. Then off he went again - to France

Bieber flew to Cannes and went to the NRJ awards. At the Saturday Jan. 28 award show he sang and won the award for Artist of the Year. The NRJ awards are the most prestigious awards in France, given out yearly by the pop radio station, NRJ, based in Cannes.

Justin Bieber: Making 'Believe'

No official word from Bieber's manager Scooter Braun or his website when he's returning, though it's likely soon. Reports of his time in the studio say work on his next album 'Believe' is going well and he intends to complete it in time for a spring release.

Yesterday, the 27th, he tweeted to fans: "i never thought i would ever get out of stratford and now im celebrating in france. never gets old. ALWAYS grateful! #Ilovemyfans." He also won an NRJ award last year. LMFAO also performed at the award show.more information...

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Source: http://www.digitaljournal.com